USA, CINA E L’INDO-PACIFICO

FOCUS

• June 14, 2022. By Ryan Hass, Brookings. The International Institute for Strategic Studies’ annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore provides the closest thing to an X-ray of the strategic situation in the Indo-Pacific. The convening brings together defense leaders, diplomats, strategic thinkers, journalists, and business leaders for examination of the most pressing challenges to regional security and prosperity. In the 2022 edition this past weekend, through two days of intensive discussions among nearly 600 delegates from 59 countries, including defense chiefs from the United States, China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, France, Fiji, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members states, a picture emerged of the strategic situation in Asia. America and China present dueling narratives at Shangri-La Dialogue

THE SCIENCE OF WHERE

• June 14, 2022. By Chris Oxendine, Esri. Prior to Russian troops invading Ukraine, the Biden administration was vocal about the build-up on the border. To draw attention to evidence of an impending aggression, the administration publicly shared commercial satellite imagery and online maps—so-called open-source intelligence (OSINT)—that laid bare the lines of tanks poised to pour across the border. Open-Source Intelligence Documents War Atrocities in Ukraine

THINK TANKS & GLOBAL NEWS

DIGITAL, TECH

• June 15, 2022. By Shania Kennedy, Health IT Analytics. Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have shown that that an artificial intelligence (AI) platform designed to recommend optimal chemotherapy doses from cancer patients achieved promising results and lowered prescribed dosages by an average of 20 percent, according to findings presented at ASCO 2022. AI Platform Recommends Lower, More Personalized Chemotherapy Doses
• June 14, 2022. By Shania Kennedy, Health IT Analytics. Mayo Clinic Platform, Mayo Clinic’s portfolio of digital healthcare initiatives, has partnered with medical technology company Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) to utilize de-identified patient data to perform detailed post-market analysis on BD’s medical device offerings, with the goal of fueling healthcare innovation and forecasting unmet patient needs. Mayo Clinic Platform Strikes Partnership to Analyze Medical Device Use
• June 14, 2022. By Shania Kennedy, Health IT Analytics. California-based nonprofit healthcare organization Landon Pediatric Foundation (LPF) is partnering with Austin-based digital health company Vironix Health to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and remote patient monitoring (RPM) to enhance care for patients with chronic heart and lung conditions. CA Organization Implements AI, RPM to Improve Chronic Disease Management
• June 14, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Frontier supercomputer system at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been ranked as the fastest computer in the world, as well as becoming the first to break the exascale performance barrier. US supercomputer breaks exascale barrier : New Nuclear

• June 14, 2022. By World Nuclear News. Nuclear fuel debris filters manufactured by Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB using 3D printing technology have been installed at unit 2 of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in Finland and unit 3 of the Oskarshamn plant in Sweden. First use of 3D-printed nuclear fuel debris filters : Corporate
• June 14, 2022. By James Andrew Lewis, CSIS. The United States is no longer the sole superpower, hegemon, or whatever term one prefers.  This situation, accompanied by its military failures and domestic political turmoil, has led some to return to that ever-popular theme: the United States’ decline. But the discussion of decline can reflect Schadenfreude or wishful thinking as much as impartial analysis. While it is true that the unipolar moment is over, the United States is still more like the first among equals rather than a vanishing superpower.  Musk versus Mackinder
• June 14, 2022. By Alex Engler, Brookings. The European Union’s AI Act (AIA) aspires to establish the first comprehensive regulatory scheme for artificial intelligence, but its impact will not stop at the EU’s borders. In fact, some EU policymakers believe it is a critical goal of the AIA to set a worldwide standard, so much so that some refer to a race to regulate AI. Yet a comprehensive analysis of the provisions of the AIA suggests a more limited global impact from the AIA than is presented by EU policymakers. While the AIA will contribute to the EU’s already significant global influence over some online platforms, it may otherwise only moderately shape international regulation. The limited global impact of the EU AI Act
• June 13, 2022. By Christophe Carugati, Bruegel. Overlapping rules in the digital economy require cooperation between national regulatory authorities; a practical arrangement based on case information, case allocation and case resolution would ensure consistency and effective enforcement. A practical arrangement for cooperation between digital economy regulators

AROUND THE WORLD

Canada – USA

• June 14, 2022. By World Nuclear News. Texas-based Uranium Energy Corp (UEC) has agreed to acquire Canadian company UEX Corporation to create a combined, diversified portfolio of uranium production and development assets. UEC to double resources through UEX acquisition : Uranium & Fuel

China

• June 15, 2022. By Al Jazeera. China’s economy showed signs of recovery in May after slumping in the prior month, as industrial production rose unexpectedly. But consumption was still weak, underlining the challenge for policymakers amid the persistent drag from strict COVID curbs. China’s economy showed recovery sparks in May but consumers wary

Europe

• June 14, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The European Parliament’s environment and economy committees have voted against the inclusion of gas and nuclear in the EU’s list of environmentally sustainable investments. The vote, which was indicative of mood rather than having a direct impact, comes three weeks before all MEPs hold their vote to accept, or oppose, the European Commission’s plan.  MEPs on two committees vote against EU taxonomy delegated act : Nuclear Policies

France

• June 14, 2022. By Jack Watling, RUSI. President Macron’s aspiration to mediate between Putin, who does not respect him, and Ukraine, which does not trust him, is damaging French influence at a time when European leadership is critical. Macron Must Avoid the Immolation of French Influence

Gaza Strip

• June 15, 2022. By Middle East Eye. Over half of Palestinian children in the besieged Gaza Strip have had suicidal thoughts in the past year, according to a report published by Save the Children on Wednesday.  Gaza: Over half of Palestinian children have contemplated suicide, report finds

Iran – Tajikistan

• June 14, 2022. By Vali Kaleji, The Jamestown Foundation. On May 16–17, with much of the attention in Eurasia still fixated on the Russian-Ukrainian war, the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, paid a visit to Tajikistan, where he met with President Emomali Rahmon and senior military officials. In the most important event of this trip, General Bagheri and his hosts inaugurated the opening of an Iranian Ababil-2 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) factory in the Tajikistani capital of Dushanbe (Tasnim News, May 17). Iran Opens Ababil-2 Drone Factory in Tajikistan: Reasons and Implications

Iraq 

• June 15, 2022. By Shawn Yuan, Al Jazeera. After nearly eight months of the Iraqi parliament’s repeated failure to form a government, influential Shia religious leader – and the biggest winner of Iraq’s October parliamentary elections – Muqtada al-Sadr decided enough was enough. Sadrists quit Iraq’s parliament, but al-Sadr isn’t going away

Israel

• June 15, 2022. By Middle East Eye. The head of the Religious Zionism political alliance, Bezalel Smotrich, is planning to propose a law in the Knesset that would impose Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, in a bid to fracture the government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Israel: Religious Zionism’s Smotrich proposes bill to impose sovereignty in West Bank
• June 13, 2022. By Nadav Shragai, JCPA. The plan to link the city of Maale Adumim (pop. 40,000) to Jerusalem by building housing units in the E1 area, a proposal backed by nine Israeli prime ministers, has been frozen for 28 years because of U.S. and European opposition. The E1 plan covers an area of 12 square kilometers of state land. In April 1994, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin gave the mayor of Maale Adumim the documents for the annexation of E1 to his town. Israel’s E1 Building Plan: The Most Strategic, Consensual – and Frozen – Project

Israel – Egypt – European Union

• June 15, 2022. By Al Jazeera. The European Union, Israel and Egypt have signed a tripartite natural gas export deal as the bloc seeks to diversify away from Russian energy. EU signs gas deal with Israel, Egypt in bid to ditch Russia
• June 15, 2022. By Rina Bassist, Al-Monitor. Israel’s Energy Minister Karine Elharrar signed this morning in Cairo a trilateral memorandum of understanding with Egypt and with the European Union, enabling Israeli marine-extracted natural gas from the Mediterranean Sea to be exported to Europe through Egypt. Israeli energy minister inks deal to export gas to Europe via Egypt
• June 15, 2022. By Middle East Eye. Israel has signed a natural gas export deal with Egypt and the European Union (EU) during a regional summit in Cairo, as Europe seeks alternative energy supplies to replace Russia‘s fuel amid its ongoing war in Ukraine. Israel, Egypt and European Union sign natural gas export deal

Israel – USA – Saudi Arabia

• June 15, 2022. By Al Jazeera. Israel’s foreign minister has said that his country was looking to US President Joe Biden’s Middle East trip next month to help improve relations with Saudi Arabia, a country with which it does not have official ties. Israel hopes Biden trip helps improve ties with Saudi Arabia

Palestine

• June 14, 2022. By Yoni Ben Menachem, JCPA. Israeli and U.S. officials are watching Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ affairs with concern. Senior Fatah officials report that something is happening to the 86-year-old Abbas. He has slowed his activity and cut back his meetings, participating only in the important ones while leaving the others to his confidant Hussein Al-Sheikh. Hussein Al-Sheikh Is Gradually Stepping into Mahmoud Abbas’ Shoes

Russia

• June 14, 2022. By Maria Shagina, IISS. While Western energy sanctions continue to be applied against Moscow in response to its invasion of Ukraine, their long-term implications are clear: Russia’s status as an energy superpower has been undermined and its traditional energy bridge to Europe, which emerged during the Cold War and survived since then, has been destroyed. Russia’s status as an energy superpower is waning
• June 14, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The 340-tonne, 12-metre VVER-TOI reactor vessel is made of nickel-free steel and is designed to withstand a pressure of 250 atmospheres, equivalent to the pressure at a depth of 2.5km in the ocean, Rosatom says. It was installed in its final position in the first power unit at Kursk II in western Russia in several stages. VVER-TOI reactor vessel installed at Kursk II : New Nuclear

Russia – Belarus

• June 15, 2022. By Neil Melvin and Emily Ferris, RUSI. This episode examines the evolving Belarus–Russia defence and security relationship at a time when Minsk has become closely intertwined with Russia’s war against Ukraine, and as Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus’ authoritarian president, is increasingly reliant on political support from Russia to remain in power. Episode 28: The Belarus–Russia Security Relationship

Russia – Ukraine

• June 15, 2022. By Hanna Duggal and Marium Ali, Al Jazeera. Since the Russian invasion, Ukraine has received billions of dollars’ worth of weapons from dozens of countries. What weapons has Ukraine received from the US and allies?
• June 14, 2022. By Oleksandr Danylyuk, RUSI. In the gathering war of attrition in Ukraine, Russia has the upper hand – and Ukraine’s only hope is for international support to now be stepped up. Russia’s Ukraine Invasion: The Most Dangerous Phase is Upon Us
• June 14, 2022. By Hlib Parfonov, The Jamestown Foundation. After the start of the 2022 war, in which the Russian Federation initially deployed about 180,000 soldiers and approximately 120 battalion tactical groups (BTGs) against Ukraine, the Russian military quickly began to experience significant problems with logistics and personnel. The true size and structure of the invading army is not known for certain, but captured documents and testimonies from interrogated Russian soldiers indicate that the staffing of BTGs in the Russian Armed Forces faced noticeable problems from the beginning (Gur.gov.ua, March 23). Colossus With Feet of Clay
• June 14, 2022. By Paul Globe, The Jamestown Foundation. Ukraine experienced sharp demographic decline even before Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale re-invasion earlier this year. The Ukrainian population fell from 52 million in 1993 to just over 41 million by the start of 2022. For that matter, it would have been declining even if the Soviet Union had not disintegrated and Ukraine had not acquired its independence (see Prism, December 25, 1998). However, the expanded Russian military action this year not only killed thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and led to the emigration of several million more, it also suppressed the birthrate while increasing the death rate among those remaining. Putin’s War Accelerating Ukraine’s Demographic Collapse, Experts Say
• June 14, 2022. By Heinz Strubenhoff, Brookings. Russian ships and sea mines block Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Before the war, Ukraine exported on average about 6 million tons of agri-commodities monthly to countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Currently, only about 15 to 20 percent of this volume can be exported via rail, Danube river, and trucks (about 700,000 tons in April 2022 and about 1 million tons in May 2022). Also, trade risks related to Russian exports have been increasing due to sanctions by various trade partners and banks. This led to price spikes and supply chain disruptions significantly undermining food security in poor importing countries. The war in Ukraine triggered a global food shortage

Sri Lanka

• June 14, 2022. By Neil DeVotta, East Asia Forum. When Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa banned chemical fertiliser, insecticides and herbicides in May 2021, protesters blamed the government rather than the President or his brother, former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. But this time, spurred by the island’s worst ever economic crisis, protests have turned against Rajapaksa rule. Sri Lanka’s struggle to bring down the Rajapaksas

Syria

• June 15, 2022. By Khaled al-Khateb, Al-Monitor. The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions in northern Syria have seriously started considering how to manage Tal Rifaat and Manbij in the countryside of Aleppo, which they plan to take over after expelling the Kurdish forces as part of an imminent Turkish military operation in the area.  Turkish-backed factions form military councils in north Syria ahead of possible Turkish operation
• June 15, 2022. By Delil Souleiman, Al-Monitor. Noura al-Khalif married an Islamic State group supporter and then wound up without her husband in a Syrian camp viewed by many as the last surviving pocket of the “caliphate”. Syrians returning from Al-Hol camp stigmatised over IS ties
• June 15, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Three people, including a government forces member, were killed on Monday in the northern countryside of Daraa amid ongoing security chaos. Three, Including Syrian Soldier, Killed In Daraa
• June 15, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. EU spokesman Luis Miguel Bueno said that the European Union believes that conditions for the safe return of Syrian refugees have not yet been achieved. He stressed that the EU maintains its existing policy toward refugees to ensure their protection on European territory. EU to Syria TV: Safe Return of Syrian Refugees not yet Achieved
• June 15, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Did Russia withdraw some of its forces from Syria after the Ukrainian war? What is the future of Arab normalization with Damascus? How serious is the recent presidential pardon decree in Syria? What is the fate of European sanctions? And how to deal with the economic crisis and the Russian ambiguity over the decision to extend the international mechanism for humanitarian aid across the border? Syria… Uncertainties and the ‘Graveyard of Expectations’
• June 15, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. In a report, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the release of 539 detainees from Syrian prisons since the end of April, as of Monday, June 13th. Report Reveals Number of Released After “Amnesty” Decree

Syria – Iran

• June 15, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Informed sources in Tehran revealed that two tankers arrived on the Syrian coast on Monday. They are the first tankers to reach the country as part of the new credit line between Iran and Syria. Iranian Oil Tankers Dock at Syria Ports

Syria – Russia

• June 15, 2022. By SOHR. The fourth Syrian-Russian Joint Meeting kicked off in Damascus on Tuesday with the aim of returning Syrian refugees back to their country. More People Try to Immigrate from Govt-Held Regions in Syria
• June 15, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. The 4th Syrian-Russian Joint Meeting started activities on Tuesday in Damascus to follow up on the International Conference on Return of Syrian Refugees and Displaced. 4th Syrian-Russian Meeting on Return of Refugees Starts in Damascus

Taiwan – Qatar

• June 15, 2022. By Middle East Eye. Taiwan denounced Qatar on Wednesday for saying Taiwanese fans attending the 2022 World Cup in Doha may be listed as Chinese, in an apparent recognition of Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over its neighbour. Taiwan condemns Qatar World Cup organisers for listing fans as Chinese

Tunisia

• June 15, 2022. By Hanen Jebli, Al-Monitor. The Central Bank of Tunisia raised its main interest rate by 75 basis points to 7% on May 17, to combat inflationary pressures. The bank also raised the minimum rate of return on savings by 100 basis points up to 6%. Tunisians watch prices of most consumer goods soar

UK 

• June 15, 2022. By Edna Mohamed, Middle East Eye. The British government on Wednesday insisted it would go ahead with its decision to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda after the first flight was cancelled on Tuesday following a court ruling.  UK: European Court ruling cancels first Rwanda flight deporting asylum seekers
• June 14, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The British government has published documents which show “significant progress” towards implementing a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) funding model for new nuclear power projects. It has set out its case for the Sizewell C project to receive funding under the model and launched a consultation on how projects would receive RAB financing. UK government confirms Sizewell C eligible for RAB financing : New Nuclear

Ukraine

• June 15, 2022. By Thomas O Falk, Al Jazeera. Analysts say that Ukraine has long suffered from systemic corruption but that Russia, which often weaponises the issue, is in no position to judge. How problematic is corruption in Ukraine?

USA

• June 15, 2022. By Al Jazeera. United States President Joe Biden has called on oil refiners to produce more petrol and diesel, saying their high profit margins are hurting consumers. Biden calls on oil refiners to produce more, cut profit margins
• June 15, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The USA’s Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has awarded grants to Maryland-based X-energy and Frostburg State University to evaluate the benefits of repurposing a coal-fired electric generating facility with X-energy’s Xe-100 small modular reactor. Maryland and X-energy examine coal-to-nuclear switch : New Nuclear
• June 14, 2022. By Bill Baer, Brookings. Recently, Amazon launched a broadside against legislation (the American Innovation and Online Choice Act, S. 2992, and similar proposal, H.R. 3816) that would empower the government to challenge a variety of anticompetitive self-preferencing behaviors by the dominant tech platforms. Distilled to its essence, Amazon claims the proposal unfairly targets the company, would force it to eliminate or degrade its popular Prime delivery service, and threaten penalties that would put at risk its core business model, its workers, and the small businesses who sell on its platform. Why Amazon is wrong about the American Innovation and Online Choice Act

USA – Cambodia

• June 14, 2022. By Gregory B. Poling, Charles Dunst, Simon Tran Hudes, CSIS. U.S. policy toward Cambodia is conflicted, contradictory, and unsustainable. Is Cambodia an authoritarian pariah to be punished until it undergoes systemic political change? Or is it a necessary partner on the front lines of great-power competition? The U.S. government has spent the last decade torn between righteous indignation over democratic backsliding and pragmatic engagement given U.S. interests in the region. Pariah or Partner? Clarifying the U.S. Approach to Cambodia

USA – China

• June 14, 2022. By Merics. Beijing is furious at what it sees as the emergence of the long-feared US-led coalition to contain China. With the world moving toward an increasingly bipolar order, countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, are likely to feel growing pressure to pick a side. By Helena Legarda. A return of bloc politics?

USA – UK

• June 15, 2022. By World Nuclear News. USA-based engineering group Jacobs has been awarded a two-year extension to its Stations Services Agreement (SSA) with EDF Energy, operator of the UK’s nuclear power plants. Jacobs’ scope includes supporting the safe operation and maintenance of the advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) plants, which account for about 17% of the country’s electricity generation. EDF Energy extends plant services contract with Jacobs : Corporate

DEFENSE, MILITARY, CYBER

• June 15, 2022. By Al Jazeera. The world’s nine nuclear-armed countries spent $82.4bn upgrading their atomic weaponry in 2021, eight percent more than the year before, a campaign group has said. Nuclear-armed nations spent $82.4bn on weapons in 2021
• June 15, 2022. By Andrew Eversden, Breaking Defense. AM General plans to unveil a hybrid-electric version of its Humvee at an exhibition “soon,” the company’s CEO told Breaking Defense, and believes the capability is ripe for use by the National Guard. AM General will unveil hybrid Humvee ‘soon,’ targets National Guard
• June 15, 2022. By Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense. “It’s small, but mighty” could be the catch-phrase for British startup Magdrive’s tiny spacecraft propulsion engine, which the company claims can efficiently rev up from the stately motion provided by electric thrusters to the bursts of speed provided by traditional chemical thrusters. UK startup to test tiny engine for (relatively) high-speed space maneuvers
• June 15, 2022. By Phil Muncaster, Info Security. Account takeover (ATO) attacks targeting the financial services sector surged 58% from April to May this year, raising fears that fraudsters are focusing more on buy now, pay later (BNPL) schemes. BNPL Fraud Alert as Account Takeovers Surge
• June 15, 2022. By Phil Muncaster, Info Security. The UK’s data protection watchdog has signed an agreement with the government which will see it retain millions of pounds in fines to put towards mounting legal costs. Privacy Watchdog Set to Keep Millions in Fines for Legal Costs
• June 15, 2022. By Phil Muncaster, Info Security. Microsoft issued its last regular patch update round yesterday, fixing over 50 CVEs, including a dangerous zero-day bug known as “Follina.”. Microsoft’s Final Patch Tuesday Fixes Follina Bug
• June 15, 2022. By Abdul Rahman Yaacob, East Asia Forum. As the Australian Labor Party forms its foreign and defence policies after its recent election victory, resetting Australia’s engagement with Southeast Asia is a key concern for the new government. Australia has identified the region as an area of direct strategic interest. Constructive engagement is crucial for Australia to influence the region in support of shared security interests. Improving Australia–ASEAN defence engagement
• June 14, 2022. By Emma Schroeder, Stewart Scott, and Trey Herr, Atlantic Council. A strategy to defeat US adversaries in cyberspace is not the same as, nor sufficient for, securing cyberspace. US policy is on two potentially divergent paths: one that prioritizes the protection of US infrastructure through the pursuit of US cyber superiority, and one that seeks an open, secure cyber ecosystem. Defend Forward was a compelling and necessary shift in thinking, but it is just one of many policy tools available to implement the US cyber strategy. In the new National Cyber Strategy, policymakers and practitioners should heed the costly lessons of a generation of counterinsurgency and ensure that efforts to defeat adversaries in cyberspace do not displace efforts to secure it. In an article published by Foreign Affairs, National Cyber Director Chris Inglis and Harry Krejsa, assistant national cyber director for strategy and research, emphasized, “security is a prerequisite for prosperity in the physical world, and cyberspace is no different.”. A revised national cyber strategy should: (1) enhance security in the face of a wider range of threats than just the most strategic adversaries, (2) better coordinate efforts toward protection and security with allies and partners, and (3) focus on bolstering the resilience of the cyber ecosystem, rather than merely reducing harm. Victory reimagined: Toward a more cohesive US cyber strategy
• June 14, 2022. By Alessandro Mascellino, Info Security. Cybersecurity researchers Unit 42 spotted several variants of the HelloXD ransomware capable of installing a backdoor after infection on both Windows and Linux machines. HelloXD Ransomware Variants Found Installing Backdoor on Windows and Linux Machines
• June 14, 2022. By Elad Leon, Info Security. More than a year after the massive SolarWinds cyber-attack, targeted companies continue to feel its ramifications in reputation and financial cost. Moreover, the global software supply chain remains vulnerable to deep and severe attacks, whether they come again from Russia – now increasingly in the cybersecurity spotlight due to fears of retaliation to U.S. sanctions – or from any other party. Only More Secure Coding Can Protect the Software Supply Chain
• June 14, 2022. By Alessandro Mascellino, Info Security. A new Linux kernel rootkit dubbed ‘syslogk’ has been spotted in the wild by Avast cybersecurity researchers. New Syslogk Linux Kernel Rootkit Uses “Magic Packets” to Trigger Remote Backdoor Access
• June 14, 2022. By Phil Muncaster, Info Security. Security researchers have uncovered a major new state-backed spear-phishing operation targeting multiple high-ranking Israeli and US officials. Iran Spear-Phishers Hijack Email Conversations in New Campaign
• June 14, 2022. By Phil Muncaster, Info Security. More than 40 million UK consumers are thought to have been targeted by digital fraudsters so far in 2022, a double-digit increase from the same time last year. Over Three-Quarters of UK Adults Hit by Online Scams
• June 14, 2022. By Alessandro Mascellino, Info Security. A new report by Telstra Purple’s security forum ClubCISO suggested material security has significantly improved over the last year, driven by a positive shift in organizational influence by chief information security officers (CISOs). ClubCiso Report Shows Material Security Incidents Reduced by 54% Compared to Last Year
• June 14, 2022. By Phil Muncaster, Info Security. A leading US healthcare provider has warned that as many as 70,000 individuals may have had sensitive personally identifiable information (PII) stolen by a malicious third party. Kaiser Permanente Exposes Personal Info on 70,000 Customers
• June 14, 2022. By Christina Mackenzie, Breaking Defense. Belgium and Lithuania have both fallen for Caesar’s charms, opting to buy the French-made truck-mounted 155mm artillery system for their armies, according to official statements issued by their respective governments. Belgium, Lithuania to buy French-made Caesar artillery system
• June 14, 2022. By  Tom Kington, Defense News. Poland plans to buy AW149 helicopters, the defense ministry said Monday, with one Italian bank estimating the order could be worth €1.1 billion (U.S. $1.15 billion) to manufacturer Leonardo. Poland reveals plan to buy AW149 helos in deal potentially worth over $1B
• June 14, 2022. By Rachel S. Cohen, Defense News. Four-star Air Force generals among several officers headed for new leadership posts. Pentagon to swap out nuclear boss, Europe commander and more
• June 14, 2022. By  Colin Demarest, Defense News. The Department of the Air Force is using artificial intelligence to augment weather predictions and better understand environmental conditions in places where the U.S. military may be headed. Air Force using AI to improve weather models for military planning
• June 14, 2022. By  Courtney Albon, Defense News. House lawmakers proposed a bill that would establish a “Technology Competitiveness Council” to help drive innovation in national security, after an independent commission found the U.S. is at risk of falling behind in the race for supremacy in artificial intelligence. Lawmakers propose ‘Technology Competitiveness Council’ to champion US innovation
• June 14, 2022. By  Sebastian Sprenger, Defense News. European Union officials are expected to meet with member nation delegates this week to craft ground rules for a €500 million (U.S. $523 million) fund envisioned to promote quick purchases of bloc-made military equipment. Nations huddle to clarify access rules for $523 million buy-European fund
• June 14, 2022. By  Seth J. Frantzman, Defense News. Israel will purchase hundreds of combat vehicles from Israel Aerospace Industries for the country’s special forces in a deal worth more than 100 million new shekel (U.S. $28 million), the Defense Ministry said in a recent statement. Israel orders hundreds of new combat vehicles for special forces
• June 14, 2022. By  Mike Gruss, Defense News. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could force governments with technologically advanced militaries to reevaluate their investments in areas such as robotics and artificial intelligence, creating a renaissance for spending on armor and artillery, a panel of military leaders said this week at the Eurosatory defense expo. Russia’s invasion could return focus on armor and artillery, away from AI and robotics
• June 14, 2022. By  Vivienne Machi, Defense News. European consortium MBDA has introduced a new line of fifth-generation tactical combat missiles, now dubbed Akeron, at the Eurosatory trade show near Paris this week. MBDA rebrands Akeron missile line to clear up confusion
• June 14, 2022. By Bryant Harris, Megan Eckstein, Stephen Losey and Joe Gould, Defense News. House Democrats sided with the Biden administration Tuesday, offering a $762 billion fiscal 2023 defense spending bill in an initial draft released by the Appropriations Committee. House Democrats rebuke calls to raise spending in defense bill
• June 14, 2022. By Bradley Bowman and Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery (ret.), Defense News. Fielded combat capabilities — not arms sales announcements from Washington — are what help America’s beleaguered democratic partners such as Taiwan deter and defeat aggression. Despite this fact, the United States has proven painfully slow in delivering desperately needed weapons to threatened democracies, leaving them unnecessarily vulnerable and inviting costly aggression by authoritarian states. Expedite arms deliveries to beleaguered democracies

HORIZONS

• June 15, 2022. By Andrea Owe, RUSI. When expanding into outer space, humanity risks magnifying past mistakes, ones that have triggered a global state of unsustainability. The international community must engage now to ensure strategies for a space era support sustainability on Earth and prepare for a sustainable future in space. Space Expansion Must Support Sustainability – On Earth and in Space
• June 15, 2022. By Chatham House. Circular trade is a key enabler of a global circular economy, but inequities in power relations, digital trade capabilities, trade infrastructure, access to finance, and industrial and innovation capabilities mean that countries in the Global North are better positioned to reap the benefits than are those in the Global South. Trade for an inclusive circular economy
• June 14, 2022. By Oleksii Reznikov, Atlantic Council. NATO leaders will gather in the Spanish capital at the end of June for a potentially historic summit. They are expected to approve a landmark new Strategic Concept at a time when the Russian invasion of Ukraine has created the most dramatic international security challenges for a generation. The choices made in Madrid will likely shape the geopolitical agenda for decades to come. The future of global security will be decided in Ukraine
• June 14, 2022. By Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, Atlantic Council. I took up the role of OPEC Secretary General on August 1, 2016. In some ways, it feels like yesterday, but in others, it feels like a lifetime ago given how much the world has changed since then. Affordability, security, and emissions reductions: The sustainability trilemma

Le interviste di The Science of Where Magazine

• INDO-PACIFICO: COMPETIZIONE TECNOLOGICA, CRESCITA ECONOMICA, SICUREZZA. L’OPINIONE DI SORABH GUPTA (ICAS)
• MODULARE LE TECNOLOGIE PER UN FUTURO AGRO-SOSTENIBILE. A COLLOQUIO CON TIM BENTON (CHATHAM HOUSE)